Direction indicator control switch



Sept. 6, 1938. E. F. BEAVERSTOCK 2,129,558

DIRECTION INDICATOR CONTROL SWITCH Filed July 16, 1936 [if ,fj\ 41-2 ft? j f5 @4 1 w m? 293 a;

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Patented Sept. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DIRECTION INDICATOR CONTROL SWITCH 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in signal apparatus and is directed more particularly to improvements in apparatus for use in connection with a vehicle for indicating the direction in which the vehicle is being steered.

The principal objects of this invention are directed to the provision of a novel signal apparatus which is operable by the steering mechanism of a vehicle to indicate in which direction the vehicle is being steered. As a special feature of the invention, the apparatus includes means to provide a warning signal or alarm in addition to indicating the direction and the said warning signal may be an audible signal if desired.

Various other novel features and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter more fully referred to in connection with the accompanying description of the preferred form of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a part of the apparatus of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevational view through the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 and taken on line 22 as indicated on Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a part of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram to explain certain features of the invention; and

Fig. 5 is a small scale fragmentary elevational view showing the apparatus associated with the frame of a vehicle.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail, the invention will be fully described.

A casing is represented by 2 which may have a cover 4. This casing has lugs or ears 6 provided with openings 8 therein for securing the casing to a vehicle.

Swinging arms l0 and I2 are pivoted at M to the casing 2 and these are preferably formed of insulating material as indicated. Contact plate members l6 and I8 are secured to these arms l0 and I2 and their inner sides are provided with inclined surfaces 20 and 22 and inwardly extending ears such as 24, shown in Fig. 3. The plates l6 and I8 are relatively thin flat plates disposed on the face of arms I 0 and I 2 secured thereto as aforesaid and a portion of the plate I8 is clearly shown in Fig. 3.

Springs, such as 26, are disposed on pins 28 carried by the casing and they have their inner ends seated in suitable sockets, such as 30, of the members I 0 and I2. These springs 26 urge the arms inwardly.

Adjusting members in the form of bolts 32 are in threaded engagement with the upper wall 34 of the casings against which the upper ends of levers l0 and I2 abut, there being clamp nuts 36 hearing against the casings to hold the adjusting members 32 in place. The springs 26 tend to urge the arms In and I2 inwardly while they are limited in their upward movement by the adjusting members 32.

A rotor 38 is fixed to a shaft 40 which is rotatable in the casing and this is preferably of insulating material and has a contact member in the form of a segment 42 thereon. A block 44 of insulating material is secured to the casing and a contact member 46, in a socket 48 thereof and bearing on segment 42, a spring 50. A binding screw 52 for a circuit wire is in threaded engagement with the insulating block 44 and is engaged by the spring 50 so that the said screw 52 may be electrically connected to the said segment 42. Binding screws 54 and 56, on the plates 20 and 22, are adapted for Wiring connections.

A base of insulating material is disposed below the rotor and a bolt 62, extending through the lower wall 64 of the casing, has its upper end in threaded engagement with said block 60. Springs 66 between the wall 64 and base tend to urge the base upwardly and a spring 68 around the bolt 62 is provided to urge the block upwardly and hold the head of the bolt against wall 64 of the casing; and thereby retain the adjustment of the bolt. By turning the bolt 62 in one direction or the other, the block 60 is moved up or down for adjustment as may be desired.

A contact plate member 10 is carried by the upper ends of the bolts 12 which are slidable in the base 60 and spring 14 seated in sockets of the base 60 bear against the plate 10 to urge the same upwardly and serve as a yieldable mounting therefor. A screw 76 associated with the plate 10 is adapted for a wiring connection.

The apparatus thus far described constitutes a mechanism for opening and closing signal and alarm circuits and the casing may be secured to a vehicle. To illustrate, a frame of a vehicle, such as an automobile, is represented by F to which the casing is secured.

The apparatus is operated by some movable part of the steering mechanism in such a way that the rotor 38 is rotated in one direction or the other accordingly as the steering mechanism is operated in one direction or the other.

To accomplish this as one feature of the invention there is provided a lever 80 which has a socket for receiving a nut 82 which is a usual is urged downwardly by part of the steering mechanism and from which depends a steering lever 84. The worm and gear box is represented by 86, the steering column or shaft by 88. In the ordinary construction, when the steering column is rotated, the part carrying nut 82 and lever 84 is oscillated to give motion to a rod 90 which is connected to the wheels for steering the vehicle.

The lever is split at 92 and a bolt 94 is provided for drawing parts 96 together so as to clamp the lever 80 to the nut 82. One or more set screws such as 98 may be provided to bear against nut 82.

On the outer end of, shaft 40 of the switch mechanism, there is a lever I00 which is secured to said shaft 4 as by a pin I02 of the like. A rod I04 may have on its opposite end forks I06 which are pivoted to levers 80 and I00. Then as the column 88 is rotated to oscillate nut 82, the lever 8|] is oscillated so as to oscillate lever Hill.

A light H0 and a light H2 as shown in Fig. 4 may represent direction indicating lights or sigrials. One may indicate that the vehicle is being steered to the left and the other indicate it is being steered to the right. These indicators or signals H0 and H2 may be located at the rear or forward end of the vehicle, and there may be a pair of such lights at both ends of. the vehicle if desired.

A battery is represented by H4 and an alarm or warning device is represented by H6. This signal I I6 may take the form of a light or it may consist of an audible signal such as a buzzer, bell, or the like. The signals or indicators, battery and elements of the switch mechanism are connected as shown in Fig. 4 to provide the separate circuits.

With the mechanism associated with the steering apparatus, as shown in Fig. 5, and with the circuit closing mechanism connected to the signal and alarm devices in Fig. 4, as the steering mech anism is operated in one direction or the other, the rotor 38 will be rotated in one direction or the other.

As the rotor, for instance, is rotated clockwise, the segment 42 thereof. brings up against and contacts the member 18 to close the circuit energizing one of the lights such as H2. When the rotor rotates in an opposite or counterclockwise direction, the circuit including light H0 will be closed. As the rotor 38 continues to move after segment 42 engages one of the plates H5 or l8 to close a light circuit, plate 10 will then be engaged by one of said plates IE or IE, wherefor the circuit including the signal or alarm H6 is energized in addition to the signal H0 or H2 being energized.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that one or the other of the lights H0 or H2 will be energized according to the direction of movement of the rotor and that when the rotor has moved in either direction through a certain angle, the circuit including signal I 16 will be energized as well.

Having described the invention in the form at present preferred, secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A circuit closing device comprising in combination, a casing, a shaft rotatable therein having means to connect the same to a movable member of an automobile steering mechanism, a rotor on said shaft, 2. contact on said rotor, arms on opposite sides of said rotor pivoted to said casing, contact plates on said arms engageable by the contact as the rotor rotates to swing the arms outwardly, a support below the rotor, a contact plate yieldingly mounted on the upper side of. said support adapted to be engaged by either of the contact plates on the arms when the said arms are swung outwardly, springs to urge the arms towards said rotor, means to limit movements thereof towards said rotor, and means associated with the support and casing to yieldingly position the support in various positions relative to said arms and rotor.

2. An apparatus of the class described comprising in combination, a support, a rotor rotatable thereon having a contact member thereon, a pair of arms mounted on the support for swinging movements, contact plate members on said arms engageable by said contact member of the rotor, a base member, a contact plate member yieldingly mounted thereon adapted to be cngaged by said first named contact members, means tending to move said arms towards said rotor, means to limit the movement of said arms, and yielding means for moving said base member towards said rotor.

3. An apparatus of the class described comprising in detail, a support, a rotatable rotor having a contact member thereon, arms swingable at either side of said rotor having contact plates engageable by the contact member of the rotor, means to urge the arms towards the rotor, means to limit the movement of the arms towards the rotor, a base, means yieldingly urging the base towards the rotor, means for moving the base away from the rotor, a contact plate guided in said base for up and down movements, and means to urge said plate in one direction.

ELISHA F. BEAVERSTOCK.

what it is desired to claim and i 

